The VATfaqs digest
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Washington State Department of Revenue has issued updated guidance for businesses seeking a direct pay permit for sales and use tax. The guidance outlines eligibility thresholds ($240,000 cumulative liability or $10M taxable purchases), application process, reporting obligations, and limitations on permit use and transfer. Businesses must comply with these rules to claim a five‑year deduction on retail sales tax.
Missouri's Department of Revenue clarified that contractors who purchase materials for real property improvements are considered the final user, making those sales taxable. Contractors cannot charge sales tax on the lump sum contract price but may pass the cost of sales tax for materials to the homeowner. The ruling, Letter Ruling No. LR 8374, was issued on November 24, 2025.
Global e-Invoicing Requirements Tracker
The Court of Arnhem-Leeuwarden ruled that X BV, G BV and M BV do not form a VAT fiscal unity because there is no financial interconnection – no shareholder holds a majority in X BV and the parties did not act as a single group. The decision cites the 1979 HR precedent on financial control and confirms that VAT adjustments imposed on X BV for services to M BV are valid.
The South Korean National Tax Service released a press statement outlining new VAT filing and payment deadlines. The main deadlines are Jan. 26 for filing and paying returns for the July–December 2025 period, and March 26 for an extended payment deadline for certain SMEs. Simplified taxpayers and businesses facing financial difficulties also receive automatic or optional extensions.
The OECD has released guidance for policymakers on designing mandates for real-time reporting of value‑added tax transactions. The guidance is aimed at countries that are considering or adopting real‑time reporting systems and outlines key principles and considerations for effective implementation.
The OECD has released guidance to help policymakers design real‑time reporting mandates for VAT transactions. The guidance outlines principles for implementing real‑time data submission to tax authorities, a feature increasingly adopted by member states. It aims to standardise reporting requirements and improve compliance.
The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance posted a Federal Finance Court decision clarifying liability for standard consumption tax (NoVA) and VAT on cross-border vehicle acquisitions. The ruling addresses the taxpayer’s center of life and the statute of limitations for assessments, upholding the Austrian Tax Office’s assessment in a case involving a German citizen residing in Austria who purchased a vehicle in Germany. The court dismissed the taxpayer’s arguments that the center of vital interests was in Germany and that the assessments were time-barred.
Ukraine requires all VAT‑registered businesses to issue electronic invoices in XML format and submit them to the Unified Register of Tax Invoices before sending them to recipients. Public sector suppliers must use e‑invoicing for all transactions, with digital signatures mandatory and invoices archived for three years.
The UK Government brief confirms that the VAT exemption for deputising services extends to all temporary medical staff, including locum doctors supplied by employment businesses, following a 2025 First Tier Tribunal ruling. Businesses that have charged standard‑rate VAT on such supplies within the last four years can claim a refund via an error‑correction notification. The brief also outlines the steps for claiming refunds and the impact on recovered input tax.
The Polish Ministry of Finance clarified that invoices issued in PDF format cannot be corrected once the mandatory KSeF system becomes effective in February 2026. There will be no reversal or sanctions until 2027, and companies should use the transition period to establish internal processes.
The UK First‑Tier Tax Tribunal ruled on 16 December 2025 that photography costs used for product catalogues and an online store by an online retailer with integrated financial services are fully recoverable input VAT, as they are used for taxable retail supplies. The decision clarifies that such costs are not partially recoverable due to mixed use with exempt financial services.
On 17 December 2025 the UK First‑Tier Tax Tribunal ruled that companies trading in telephone calling cards are liable for VAT and penalties, rejecting their claim to recover input VAT on purchases from a Hong Kong supplier. The tribunal held that the companies acted as principals, not agents, and failed to hold valid VAT invoices.
The Post Office provides guidance for UK sellers on how the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) scheme applies to sales into the EU. Items under €150 can be covered by IOSS, allowing buyers to pay duties and fees at purchase, while items over €150 or sold outside IOSS require duties to be paid by the recipient or via pre‑paid services. Gifts under €45 are exempt from duties and fees.
The article explains how Polish tax law requires recording purchases of commercial goods immediately upon receipt, and outlines procedures when goods are received before the invoice, including preparing a detailed description and attaching it to the invoice if received in the same month. It also notes the deadline for entries (20th of each month) and the conditions under which entries can be delayed until invoice receipt.
This HMRC internal manual provides guidance on VAT assessments, error correction, amendments, and withdrawals. It outlines procedures for dealing with MTD customers, powers of assessment, and remission of tax. The manual serves as a reference for HMRC staff handling VAT assessment processes.
HMRC guidance clarifies that input tax must normally be claimed in the accounting period when the tax became chargeable, but allows late claims under Regulation 29 if circumstances such as missing evidence or internal cut‑off dates apply. HMRC will not permit late claims if the capping limit has passed, if there is evidence of careless error or repeated late claims, and partially exempt taxpayers must recover only to the extent the tax would have been deductible. Staff should seek advice from the VAT Deductions Team or Tax Administration Policy Team when potential manipulation or contrived delays are suspected.
This guide outlines Arkansas’s statewide sales and use tax rate of 6.5%, economic nexus thresholds, prepayment obligations for high‑volume sellers, and the state’s participation in the Streamlined Sales Tax initiative. It also covers exemption certificates, filing methods, and the destination‑based sourcing rule.
This manual provides HMRC staff with guidance on cross‑border exchange of information under UK international exchange agreements. It covers core principles, legal framework, specific forms of exchange, country‑by‑country reporting, automatic exchange of financial accounts, guidance on tax rulings, disclosable arrangements, mandatory disclosure rules, crypto‑asset reporting framework, and reporting rules for digital platforms.
HM Revenue & Customs confirms that the Extra Statutory Concession for linked goods, previously outlined in Notice 48, is no longer required. Supplies that were eligible for the concession will now be treated as single supplies under the standard VAT legislation, following existing case law. This change simplifies compliance by eliminating the need for the concession.
Portugal has extended its mandatory B2G e‑invoicing regime to all business sizes, with key deadlines moving into 2026 and 2027. The new rules require QR codes, ATCUD codes, and eventually Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) for electronic invoices, while the eSPAP platform remains the official submission channel. SAP ECC and S/4HANA users must adopt the eDocument Cockpit and integration flows to remain compliant.